Table 1. Statistics on Children’s Work and Education

In 2014, Cambodia made a moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training (MOLVT) created 24 interdepartmental inspection teams, which include a child labor inspector, and significantly increased the number of inspections and the number of inspectors trained to conduct child labor investigations. Additionally, the Government made several efforts to combat trafficking in persons (TIP), including drafting guidelines for the identification and referral of victims of TIP and sexual exploitation, and implementing them in six target areas. However, children in Cambodia continue to engage in child labor in agriculture and in the worst forms of child labor as victims of human trafficking. The legal framework leaves children vulnerable to the worst forms of child labor as there is no compulsory education requirement, and the law allows children as young as age 12 to engage in domestic work. Labor inspectors lack sufficient resources to adequately monitor child labor. I. PREVALENCE AND SECTORAL DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD LABOR Children in Cambodia are engaged in child labor, including in agriculture.(1-8) Children are also engaged in the worst forms of child labor, including as victims of human trafficking.(5, 9-12) Table 1 provides key indicators on children’s work and education in Cambodia